Please find below AG-RAG’s latest newsletter – Jan 2012.
AG-RAG Newsletter – Jan 2012
Author Archives: Darren
Latest Newsletter – Jan 2012
Eversley village produce Road Safety Leaflet
With the prospect of a new town being built at Arborfield and on the door step of the quiet Hampshire village of Eversley, the local residents have been trying to inform people of the current state of the A327 through their village and also the new dangers that will be heading their way.
Eversley Road Safety Leaflet – July 2011
Latest Newsletter
Please find below our latest Newsletter to be delivered to our members as a reminder of the consultation taking place.
Disgust at Council’s Failure to Consult
Arborfield Garrison -Residents Action Group (AG-RAG) chairman, Martin Rutter, has expressed his anger and disgust at Wokingham Borough Councils failure to carry out ‘thorough and meaningful’ consultation with thousands of residents who will be affected by plans to build a 3,500 mini town in Arborfield.
A Council Planning Officer has confirmed to the Group it will not be making any direct contact with local residents to inform them the consultation is taking place and have said people will have to find out the information themselves.
Martin says. ‘This is absolutely outrageous. The Council are making it incredibly hard for people to have their say. They have said that only those who made previous comments about the plans will be written to. Well, we are aware that many of our members, who wrote letters objecting to the original proposals, are still waiting to hear from the Council, so they are even failing to fulfil this promise. It is only through AG RAG’s banners, posters, website and newsletter that people are aware the consultation is taking place at all and time is running out to comment.’
He adds. ‘The Council has already faced a legal challenge over their failure to consult properly and it is blatantly clear that they have not learned any lessons from this. Furthermore, this is before they actually start considering any of the comments and objections from residents which they totally disregarded first time around’.
Martin concludes.’ We are convinced Wokingham Borough Council are making a mockery of the whole process and their failure to carry out a thorough consultation exercise is simply because they do not want to hear the truth about people’s outrage and vehement opposition against their badly thought out and unwanted proposals’.
Have your say on Wokingham SDL’s – AG-RAG Survey
Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) have asked the public to comment on the latest Masterplans to build 3500 houses in Arborfield, Finchampstead and Barkham. Full details of these plans can be found on the WBC website and this website here.
What you need to do:
1) The consultation period is from 15 June 2011 to 27 July 2011. No previous comments count. Please submit your comments to spd@wokingham.gov.uk. See below for further details. This is the ONLY way your views will count.
2) In addition, please complete our 10 question survey (1 minute to complete), noting that this survey will help support your comments submitted to WBC.
Arborfield SDL out for Re-Consultation
In response to a legal challenge logged with the High Court from six of the local Parish Councils (Southern Parishes Group – SPPG) Wokingham Borough Council have decided to re-consult on the plans for Arborfield Garisson.
Wokingham Borough Counci’s website states “We have taken advice and considered this challenge. In order to retain the most robust policy position on the Strategic Development Locations – SDLs and as a precautionary measure (given the current pre-application, application and appeal processes in train) it has been decided to consult on 5 new draft SPDs for North and South Wokingham, Arborfield, South of the M4 and Infrastructure, with a view to likely adoption in early Autumn 2011. In the interim the existing adopted 3 SPDs (North and South Wokingham and Infrastructure) would stand for Development Management purposes and the draft documents would be afforded appropriate weight thereafter. Key differences with previous versions are listed in the report to the Executive dated 2 June 2011.”
The consultation will take place between 15 June 2011 and 27 July 2011
The important document relating to the Arborfield development is the Arborfield Master Plan – 24 May 2011 which gives details of the master plan and likely layout of the development. It is important that anyone living in or around Arborfield takes the opportunity to read this document and makes their representation to WBC between 15 June 2011 and 27 July 2011. It is unlikely there will be any other opportunity to have your say! There are some important changes in the latest and current document which you may wish to comment on.
How to comment on the consultation / supplementary planning Document
Representations much be sent in writing to: Cris Lancaster Masterplanner, Policy and Partnerships, PO Box 157 Shute End, Wokingham, Berkshire, RG40 1WR. Email: spd@wokingham.gov.uk
You may also wish to copy your correspondence to your local councilors and MP:
Mr John Redwood MP – Conservative MP for Wokingham: redwoodj@parliament.uk
Mr Gary Cowan – Conservative Councilor Wokingham Borough Council: gary@cowan24.freeserve.co.uk
Dr. Philip Lee – Conservative MP for Bracknell Constituency (including Bracknell, Crowthorne, Sandhurst, Finchampstead and Wokingham Without): phillip@phillip-lee.com
Further information on the consultation can be found on WBC’s website at: Wokingham Borough Council: Arborfield Consultation
Arborfield Master Plan 24 May 2011
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Subscribe to Aborfield Garrison Residents Action Group (AG-RAG) Visit this group
Expect congestion at Barkham Bridge
The photograph below shows Barkham Bridge taken on a quiet Sunday morning. A single carriageway bridge on the edge of Arborfield on the main road between Arborfield to Wokingham. Any takers on what the traffic is normally like on this road in rush hour? Any thoughts on what it would be like with a potential extra 7,000 cars in the area?
Residents need to be aware that the SDL planning as it stands does not include any provision for upgrade of this bridge at Barkham or on the other side of Aborfield roads through Eversley.